Henry G. Taylor, MD, MPH

Commissioner, Bureau for Public Health
West Virginia Department of Health & Human Services
Charleston, West Virginia

Dr. Henry Taylor is West Virginian by choice. He received his undergraduate degree from Haverford College and then spent a year in Nepal on a National Geographic project studying temple monkeys. He graduated from Harvard Medical School and did his internal medicine residency at the Francis Scott Key Medical Center of Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Taylor and his wife, Nancyellen Brennan, a family practitioner, came to West Virginia in 1982. They helped establish Pendleton Community Care, one of 13 national demonstration sites for Community Oriented Primary Care. He spent 13 years in Pendleton County as a "modem country doctor" practicing internal medicine without a hospital.

He became involved with the WV Public Health Advisory Council and stimulated discussion of a Masters in Public Health "without walls" for West Virginia. As a result of this, in July 1995, he left clinical practice to get his MPH at Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health. His studies there were focused on his life?long career interest in "helping people in communities identify and address their own health issues."

Starting as Commissioner of Public Health in January during the 1996 legislative session has been called a "trial by fire", although his involvement with the Flood '96 was more of "baptism by water".

Dr. Taylor, his wife and four children now make Charleston their home.

Dr. Taylor is excited by the challenges and opportunities presented to public health as the federal government is returning control (and funding) to the states, and feel privileged to serve his most challenging patients yet ?? the State of West Virginia and her citizens!